Our Women of the World reports document laws and policies which impact women’s reproductive and sexual health and shape their reproductive choices. Reproductive rights are internationally recognized as critical both to advancing women's human rights and to promoting development. In recent years, governments from all over the world have acknowledged and pledged to advance reproductive rights to an unprecedented degree. Formal laws and policies are crucial indicators of government commitment to promoting reprodutive rights.



The Women of the World reports are the product of collaboration between the Center for Reproductive Rights and NGOs around the world. Each volume presents regional and national information about the following:



- Laws and policies regarding health, population, contraception, abortion, sterilization, safe pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted infections;



- Women's legal status within marriage, including divorce, custody and property; labor rights; access to credit and education; and the right to physical integrity;



- Reproductive health and rights of adolescents, including the legal status of adolescent marriage, sex education, and sexual offenses against minors;



- Customary and religious laws and practices that influence the status of women and girls.



Goals:



- Promotes Access to Contraception

The Center for Reproductive Rights promotes universal access to safe and affordable contraception, including emergency contraceptives.



- Ensures Access to Abortion

We work to make abortion safe and legal in the United States and, where appropriate, around the world.



- Supports Adolescent Reproductive Health Care

We assert the constitutional privacy rights of young people in the U.S. and their access to medically accurate sex education, and advocate for international human rights principles to secure reproductive health care free from discrimination, coercion, and violence for women around the world.



- Guarantees Low-Income Women's Reproductive Freedom

The Center for Reproductive Rights strives to ensure that all women can freely exercise their basic human right to reproductive health, regardless of economic status.



- Counters Violence Against Women's Reproductive Freedom

We use our legal resources to end violence based on gender or on the assertion of reproductive rights.



- Trains Reproductive Rights Lawyers

Our legal team trains the next generation of reproductive rights lawyers through our fellowship opportunities.